Empty Spaces
by RedTailedHawkens
Summary: Prologue scenes to Smallville: Will include, how Clark met Lana, how Lana met Lex, how Chloe met Clark, how Chloe met Pete, how Chloe met Lana, how Lana got with Whitney, how Chloe fell for Clark, how Pete fell for Chloe, and a few more.
1. Chapter 1: Lana and Clark

Chapter One

Lana and Clark

Lana took in a deep breath, staring at the huge doors before her. This would be her first day since the adoption away from her Aunt Nell. Pre-kindergarten. It was a scary place. Not that it looked scary, but Lana was terrified. It had only been seven months since her parents had died right in front of her, and she was still pretty sensitive. She had not been sure she even wanted to go, but Nell had said she would get behind if she did not. So here she was, Smallville Elementary. She walked in and took a seat next to a little boy with curly, brown hair and freckles. He looked at her, and his eyes widened.

"Aren't you that girl whose parents died?" he asked. _That girl whose parents died._ Quite a nickname. Not that he had meant anything by it. If anything, he looked sad. As did all the other girls and boys who were staring at her. She knew they were all trying to imagine how it would feel to lose their mommies and daddies. Before she could answer, the teacher came in. She greeted them all with a cheery voice, but when she looked at Lana, Lana saw _that look_ again. That unmistakable look. Pity. _That girl whose parents died_. That was who she was. She wanted to cry. But she didn't. She couldn't. If she did, she would be _that girl whose parents died_ forever, and she did not think she could live with that. She needed to be something else, anything else. She needed to prove that she was okay, so that they would all stop looking at her look that.

"Snack time. Who wants to pass out the cookies?" Lana's hand went up in a flash. _That girl who passed out the cookies_. It was certainly preferable. Somehow, she would become something, anything, and everything else, until something stuck and she stopped being _that girl whose parents died. _So, for the first week, she was that girl who cleaned the blackboard, that girl who brought a book in for the class to hear, and that girl who volunteered to look after the class pet. Her hand never stopped shooting up, she would volunteer for anything and everything, and she would do it with the biggest smile she could possibly fake.

Her Aunt Nell was not exactly thrilled that Lana had brought home an amphibian, but it was for school, so she let it be. The drive home Friday was quiet. That was, until they reached the house. There were crashing noises coming from the yellow house next door. Lana had been hearing them since she had moved into Nell's over six months ago. She knew that the Kents lived there, a nice lady and her husband who she used to see when she would come to Smallville with her Mommy and Daddy to visit her Aunt. She had met them several times before. It was weird to think that they were her neighbors now.

Nell stopped the car and got out. Lana could tell she was mad, and she felt bad for the Kents. She loved Nell, but she knew how scary she could get when she was mad.

Nell rang the Kents doorbell and waited. Mrs. Kent came to the door, a little boy hiding behind her. Lana heard Nell yelling, but she could not hear what it was about. She thought it might be better that way; when Nell got scary, Lana liked to keep her distance. She looked at the boy. She did not know the Kents had a son.

Nell and Mrs. Kent went into the house, and the boy stood in the doorway briefly. Lana waved and smiled, trying to be friendly. It looked like he had smiled back, but she could not tell. And then he was just looking at her, staring at her. He must know as well, just as everybody did. He must have seen the article and known about her parents. That was why he was staring. Then, he started to walk towards her.

When the doorbell rang, Martha Kent. It was the woman from next door who kept coming and telling the Kents that their new son was disturbing the peace, in need of discipline, and should be in pre-k right now. Martha tried to be polite, but really, what gave Nell Potter the right? They had only found Clark seven months ago, he was still adjusting. He did not know his own strength yet. Oh, of course they intended to enroll him in school, in kindergarten maybe, if he was ready, but if not, definitely by first grade. But they had to make sure he could control himself first. It was a very complicated situation, not one Nell Potter could understand, nor was it any of her business. But still, she kept coming.

Martha saw Lana get out of the car. Poor girl. It was terrible what had happened to her parents. She wished there was some way she could help. Clark hid behind her, clinging to her leg. He was a little scared of the woman who kept coming over. Martha and Nell went in the house to talk, and Clark lingered, not wanted to be around the scary neighbor lady. He saw a girl standing outside holding a glass box with a frog. He was dumbfounded. For one, he had never seen anybody his own age before. He knew they were out there, of course, but he had never actually seen one, and a girl too. He knew about girl, his mother had told him stories and some had girls in them. He had thought girls were supposed to think frogs were gross, except when you kiss them and they become a prince. Maybe that was why she had the frog. He looked at her. She looked nice. Maybe they could be friends. His first friend.

Then, she smiled at him, and something inside him hitched. Her eyes were so full of sorrow, and pain, they had seen so much, but at the same time, she was smiling, and bravely holding her frog and waving to a stranger. She was strong, she had lost something, but she was smiling. He had seen that look before, in the mirror. That look in her eyes. He could not quite remember, but he knew it meant she had lost something. It meant she was lonely, like him. But she could still smile. And she was smiling at him. It made him feel all weird inside. He did not know what this feeling was, it was completely unfamiliar, but her felt that he sort of liked it, this strange new sensation. He looked at her. She was… he did not know a word to describe it yet. He was still so young. The best he could come up with was pretty, but that just did not seem special enough. He wanted to be her friend. He wanted to be something else too, but he did not really know what. He looked at the frog in her hands again. The frog she was carrying because he might be a prince, and he felt a possessive anger boil inside of him. _He_ wanted to be her prince. That was it. That must be what he wanted to be to her, her prince. He wanted to know her, protect her, dry her tears, and make her safe.

He started towards her to introduce himself. As he got closer, he started to feel, well, he did not know, it was another new sensation, but this one he knew he did not like. His chest became tight, and his head was woozy. He collapsed. He was having trouble breathing, and he felt like his whole body was failing him. All he could think was that he wanted his mommy. _Are you all right? _He thought he heard a voice say. It was beautiful, like a melody. _I'll get help_. The voice said. Then he heard tiny footsteps running towards the house. Slowly, he started to feel better. And then he started to feel something else…embarrassed. He had tried to talk to that beautiful girl and he had collapsed. For the first time in his life, he had felt weak and helpless and she had seen it. And it was all she had ever seen of him. He wanted to crawl in a hole and die. He ran around to the back of the house and hid in the bushes until she left, which took quite awhile because they had been looking for him after he disappeared.

He ran to his mother's arms.

"Sweetie what happened? Are you all right? Where were you?" he looked at her.

"I hid."

She looked at him, concern in her voice, "Why?" she asked.

"Because." He said, quietly looking down at his shoes, "Because, I'm a freak."

Martha had been worried about this. Him feeling like an outcast. Him never making a friend. Him always being alone. What could she say? How could she fix it? How could she comfort him? But then he said, "And because she was pretty." Martha stared at him. She sighed in relief, and hugged him close to her. A crush. It was not about being different, being from somewhere else. He just had a crush. He was going to be just fine. She had feared he might not be able to feel in the same way humans could. But he can. He could have a crush on a girl just like other boys his age, and, when he got older, he could even fall in love. He did not have to be alone.


	2. Chapter 2: Lana and Lex

Chapter Two

Lana and Lex

"Lana, come on. We're going to be late!" Nell yelled up the stairs. _Honestly, you would think it was my competition and not hers_.

"Just a minute." Lana called down the stairs. She looked at her suitcase, lying open on her bed. Even after staying up all night thinking about it, she still had no clue what to pack and what to leave. This would be her first time staying overnight somewhere other than Smallville, well, ever since… Anyway, she did not want to forget anything important. What if she shrugged something that seemed unimportant now off and then found herself needing it? Or what if she brought it, and it was stolen?

"Lana!" Nell called again.

Lana grabbed her suitcase, "Coming." She said, zipping up everything she had in it and silently praying she had not forgotten anything. Nell smiled as Lana bounded down the stairs, "Finally." She said, stepping out onto the porch and holding the door open for Lana. The two walked to the car and Lana hopped in.

"Away we go."

Lana was stunned. Her mouth gaped at the sights around her. She knew that once upon a time she had lived here, but she could not seem it believe it. Everything was so big, and fast, and busy. It was almost too much for a ten-year-old to take. But Lana was not just any ten-year-old.

She and Nell explored every store, every nail salon, every museum, every theatre, basically everything imaginable. Lana felt like Dorothy in the Emerald City, and just when she thought it could not get any better, she got an audience with the wizard.

Okay, so Lionel Luthor was hardly the wizard, but he was a very important person in metropolis, and he had decided to let Lana and Nell stay at his home.

When they arrived, Lana settled in. a nice man in a suit had shown her the guest room. The place was big, and a little scary, but Lana had seen bigger, and she had definitely seen scarier.

She sat on the bed and started to psyche herself for tomorrow's competition. She would blow Nell away. She only wished her mom could be there. The thought of Laura Lang made Lana want to collapse. She missed her parents so much. Normally, right now, she would be heading to their graves to seek comfort, but Smallville cemetery was far from The Luthor's Metropolis Penthouse.

After a few deep breaths, Lana's tiny fingers clasped the chain on her neck, the only connection she had to them. Suddenly, she needed to be somewhere else, somewhere where it would just be her and motion. It was like riding. When she rode, Lana felt the world fade away, and it was just her and her horse. She felt the jumps and the adrenaline, but it was all natural, and physical. It was one meaningless task after another to distract her from the emptiness in her life and the ache in her heart.

Of course, it was too late at night to ride; Nell would never let her go out at this hour. However, she remembered that when they got there Nell had said they had an indoor pool. Lana jumped off her bed and searched through her suitcase, locating her bathing suit. Once she put it on, she made her way down the halls. The nice man in the suit from before pointed out where it was, and she opened the large doors.

She was shocked by what she saw, a naked boy and girl jumping headfirst into the pool. The boy looked strange, but then, Lana had never seen a naked boy before. The girl looked strange as well. There were things about her body that were nothing like Lana's body. After the two rose from the water, the boy grabbed the bumps on the girl's chest and started doing thing with them and to then. Lana stood horrified. When the girl started to moan in what Lana could only assume was pain, Lana gasped.

Lex looked up at the noise, annoyed at being interrupted. He was surprised to see a little sprig of a girl. She looked horrified and like she might cry. Before he could say anything, she turned and ran out, shutting the door to the pool behind her. Lex felt a little guilty about upsetting the girl, but really, she should not have been in there while he was with a girl. The skinny, flat-chested little girl should have no better, he decided. And then, he was in too much…pleasure to think of flat-chested ten-year-olds and traumatized faces.


	3. Chapter 3: Chloe, Lois, and Moving Day

Chapter Three

Chloe, Lois, and Moving Day

"All I'm saying is, I'm gonna miss you." Lois said. Chloe laughed. Her cousin Lois had come over to help her pack. She was moving from Metropolis, the news capitol of the world, the home of the Daily Planet, to Smallville, hicksville, the town with a name that meant lame and insignificant. At first, Chloe had been devastated, but ever since her mom left, it had just been her and her dad. They supported each other, leaned on each other, and needed each other. It was not his fault his job had transferred him, and making him feel guilty would not make the transition easier for either of them. So Chloe put on a fake smile and tried to be a good little trooper. "I'm serious." Lois said. And she sounded serious, but Chloe could not help but laugh again.

"Lo, come on, you and the general move back and forth so much, you won't even notice. Face it, Metropolis may be home base, but you are almost always in the field. And when you are home, you are taking advantage of the free time by skipping school and getting into trouble. Believe me, you won't even notice I'm gone."

Lois frowned, "I may not always be around, but I like knowing you're here. Come on, Chlo', you and I, we're close, we always have been, I mean, you're more my sister than Lucy is." It was true. Chloe's cousin Lucy may be Lois's sister, but the relationship they had was more mother, daughter, or rather, drill sergeant, recruit. In any case, the whole big sister little sister thing had always been more Lois and Chloe. Even when Lois's mother, Chloe's aunt Ella had died of lung cancer and The General and taken Lois from base to base so the two barely saw each other, their reunions always felt like sisters of a divorce reconnecting or something. It was true Chloe would miss Lois, but she did not feel like she would see her any less in Smallville than she did now. Besides, she was trying to be strong; she had her dad to think about.

"You could always come visit me." Chloe said, folding up a sweater and placing it into her suitcase.

Lois let out a chuckle, "Please, nothing on this earth, barring Uncle Gabe's or your untimely demise could make me set foot in a town that willingly calls itself Smallville."

"It wouldn't be that bad." Chloe said, although she had been thinking basically the same thing all week.

"You know," Lois started, "You could always stay with The General and me."

Chloe chuckled again. "No offense, Lo, but I don't think I could handle the military life."

"Sure you could."

"Thanks, but I'd rather be in Smallville."

"Okay, but the offer still stands."

"Duly noted, can you help me zip this?" Chloe said as she struggled with the suitcase. Lois motioned for Chloe to step back, and got the thing shut easy. Chloe looked at her, marveling at her superhuman packing abilities, "See," Lois said, referencing Chloe's struggle with what, to a military brat, was an easy job. "Military would do you good." Chloe smiled.

There was a knock on the door. The two girls turned to see Gabe Sullivan smiling in at them.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

He looked cheerful enough, but Chloe knew better; she knew he did not want to leave, and could see the guilt in his eyes for taking her to a strange town. _Time to put on your brave face, Sullivan._

"Ready and raring to go." She said cheerfully, her smile almost cracking her face. _Don't oversell it._ She told herself.

"I'll help you to the car." Lois said, picking up the suitcase like it weighed nothing. Chloe stared in awe.

They plopped the suitcases in the car. It was all the things Chloe felt she would need to know how to find. She did not want anything to get lost in the millions of identical boxes stacked together in the truck her father had rented.

"Well, that's it I guess." Chloe said, closing the trunk. There was a finality to the statement. She looked over at the house she had grown up in. this really was goodbye.

Lois grabbed in, wrapping her in a huge hug. Chloe did not fight her off.

"Promise to write." Chloe whispered. She felt her eyes watering, but she forced the tears not to fall.

"You too" Lois whispered back.

And then Chloe was it the car, looking out the window at her disappearing past, watching the urban utopia of metropolis disappear into rural Kansas. Chloe could only imagine what awaited her. Whatever it was, she was sure the next four years would be the dullest of her life.


	4. Chapter 4: Chloe and Clark

Author's note/Disclaimer: Some of the dialogue for this story comes from Abyss in season eight, and those parts belong to Smallville writers, but the majority of it is original, or as original as a fan fiction can be anyway. Try to picture the Chloe and Clark we know in these scenes, as opposed to the kids they got for that scene in abyss. It was only supposed to be a year before season one, so they should not have looked as different as they did. Also, I changed what Chloe was wearing. I do not know why, it just seemed to fit more this way. I tried really hard to capture what I thought this day would have been like. Chlark fans will really like this chapter I think. By the way, does anybody know what those newspaper boxes are called, because I looked and looked, but I could not find the name. I think it's believable though, because Clark might not know the name either. In addition, I still have no reviews for this story; so if you are reading it, please write something. Please enjoy!

Chapter Four

Chloe and Clark

Smallville Middle School! School colors were every corner you turned. Did this place reinvent school spirit or what? Chloe's head was reeling from all the posters and preppiness. The whole place was so down-home friendly. Not that that was necessarily bad; Chloe knew some people enjoyed the simple, unexcitingness of a rural existence. So what if that was not her?

As all new students know to do, Chloe reported to the principles office. She listened to the principal as he explained to her about her classes, and then told her that apparently, because she was new and "Smallville is all about making you feel safe, welcome, and wanted" a student would be assigned to show her around. Were they kidding? This school was screaming to be everything that embraced the small-town cliché. She felt like she was in some lame movie about the girl who is stuck in the perfect town. Then again, she would not mind being the protagonist to wreak a little havoc. She sat and waited for her first victim.

* * *

Clark walked down to the principles office. He had to admit, he was a little nervous. The kid he was assigned to show around was named Chloe according to his info sheet, and unless Chloe's parents had a cruel sense of humor, it was definitely a girl. Most thirteen-year-old boys would probably jump at the chance to show around and spend one-on-one time with a new girl who knew nothing of their embarrassing elementary school exploit's, but the only female's Clark ever talked to were teachers and his mother. He had trouble talking to girls, especially Lana, but that had always been there. However, ever since puberty hit, Clark's natural shyness, and self-doubt kicked into overdrive; he could never really talk to girls. This had never really been a real problem, because he did not really have to talk to girls. They did not notice him enough to talk to him.

He was pulled out of his reverie as he approached the principles office. Looking through the small window above the doorknob, he saw that there was a girl sitting in the waiting area. Clark had to do a double take. The girl had blonde hair, which looked as though it had been cut to intentionally look crazy. She wore a dark purple skirt with a floral design near the bottom. The skirt ended above her knees, which should have gotten her a dress code violation if not for the black knee-high stockings, which covered the girl's thin, shapely legs acceptably. She wore a black top with a funky design and a purple jacket over it. Finally, her feet were placed safely in two purple boots with heels. Clark had never seen a girl dress like that, not in Smallville. He figured she must be the new girl, between the waiting with a bored expression in the principles office and the unique attire. He watched the girl reach beside the chair, grab a brown leather bag with a long strap that she placed over her shoulder, and start toward the door, and towards him. Before he had time to react, the door was open, and the girl nearly bumped into him.

* * *

Plaid. That was all Chloe saw. She felt as though she was inside a picnic basket. Looking up, she saw that the boy wearing the shirt had black hair and eyes that were gawking at her. Great, a small-town buffoon, she thought, but she put on her best smile. Chloe did not mind making enemies if this guy was a jackass, but it was her first day and she had promised her dad she would try to make the most of all Smallville had to offer.

"Are you Chloe?" the guy spat out.

"Are you psychic?" she asked, jokingly.

"No, I uh, I was assigned to show you around." He held up a paper, which contained Chloe's name, grade, and schedule.

"I assumed as much. I guess it doesn't get more small-town than a welcome committee."

The guy chuckled awkwardly, "Well, I certainly hope I didn't offend you by wearing plaid."

Chloe smiled, "It would be less offensive if I did not have to call you the plaid wearing guy who is showing me around," he looked at her, confused. Okay, so he was clearly a buffoon, but considering where he was raised, it was not his fault, and at least he seemed like a nice buffoon, "You're name." she clarified.

"Oh," he said, embarrassed, "Um, Clark. Clark Kent." He reached his hand out to shake hers. She took it. She noticed his hand was shaking a little, and she could barely feel his touch, he was being so insanely gentle like he thought he would break her bones or something, "Relax, I'm not going to bite or break." She said, smiling. He smiled again awkwardly.

"So, looks like the first thing on your schedule is-"

"I can figure out my classes, besides, I am sure they'll cut the new girl some slack. First things first though, where can I find a copy of the Daily Planet? I do not want to lose touch with civilization."

"Um, well there's one of those newspaper boxes where you deposit a coin and get a paper by The Beanery in town-"

"Perfect, coffee and a paper, my two favorite things. That is someplace I need to know how to find."

"Okay, well, um, after school, if you want, I can show you-"

"Why wait." She said, smiling. Clark looked at her, mortified. He had never cut class before, "Come on, you were assigned to show me around, which is exactly what you will be doing. They cannot penalize you for that. And if they do, I promise I will take full responsibility and owe you your weight in coffee." She looked up at him, "Pleeaaase!" she said, smiling at him. He felt a little like maybe she was making fun of him a little, but she seemed nice, and it seemed really important to her. Besides, he had never been this close to a girl before, and she seemed really cool, if a little bossy. The pleading way she was looking up at him, he did not see how he could say no. He smiled complacently, he her grin widened. She had one of those smiles that was really toothy and went right to the end of her face. He half expected her to start clapping her hands like a little kid at Christmastime.

Chloe lead the way out of the school, and then followed Clark until they reached a newsstand. She deposited the required coins and took out today's copy of The Planet. Then she began perusing the issue, drinking up every last bit of it.

"I'm going to work there some day." She said.

"Where?" Clark asked, wondering which article she was referring to. She gave him a look like he had missed a pretty obvious mark,

"The Daily Planet." She said, matter-of-factly.

Clark felt like an idiot, "Oh," was all he could think to say.

Chloe smiled at him, "Some day…" she said dreamily. She folded the paper up and put it in her bag. "Thanks for this." she said. He nodded and they began walking back to the school. "So, how about you? What does the future hold for Clark Kent?"

"I don't know. I mean, I've never really thought about it. So long as I'm not stuck on the farm, I'll probably be okay with whatever."

Chloe stopped walking, "Wait, hold it. Farm? You live on an _actual_ farm?"

"Well, yeah. I was raised there. It's been on my family for-"

"I have to see it." she interrupted him.

"What?"

"The chance to experience farm life firsthand. I have to see it. Which way?"

"Whoa, hold on, slow down. We're already late, and while they may be lenient towards you with it being your first day, I have enough tardies." Chloe raised her eyebrow at him. "I miss the bus a lot." He said awkwardly, "Look, I may be tardy often, but I've never been absent, and I'd kind of like to keep it that way."

"Come on, Clark. Look, I'm not a ditcher either. In fact, I'm usually pretty punctual, but some things are worth the risk."

"No. Look, you have your paper, and you know where to get it. I think I have fulfilled my delinquent quota for the day. But if it's that important to you, I can show you the farm after school. Just, please, let's go to class now!" he pleaded. He looked a little desperate, and he was pretty firm about it. And he had a point. So, partially to put him out of his misery, Chloe agreed to hold her tour of Amish town off until after school. Clark seemed pretty grateful.

* * *

When school let out, Clark went to find Chloe. He still had a copy of her schedule, which made things easier. She was right outside her last class. They stopped at her locker, and got on the bus. Clark was thankful that his friend Pete was out sick today. It was easier this way than it would have been having to explain why he was sitting with a girl on the bus.

When the bus stopped at Clark's, they got out. Clark showed her into the house.

"Mom, I'm home!" he called. Chloe smelt fresh baked apple pie. She felt like she was in the home of the Cleavers. Her dad knew next to nothing about cooking. Although, she had to admit, he had gotten better over the years. Still, she was never came home to the smell of fresh baked anything.

"Hi sweetie." She said. Then she noticed Chloe, "Hello. Sorry, I was not expecting company. The place is a bit of a mess. I'm Clark's mother, Martha." She stuck her hand out. It was covered in flour, but Chloe took it anyway.

"Chloe."

"Well, hello Chloe, can I get you something to eat."

"Well, I'm not actually all that hungry right now, but it smells amazing in here."

"Well, maybe some other time." Martha said. She seemed so sweet and welcoming. From what Chloe could remember, her own mother had never been like that. She wished she had. Maybe then she would not have left.

"Mom, I was just going to show Chloe around the barn if that's all right."

"Okay, just so long as you two don't get started on your homework too late."

"I promise I'll start right after we're done."

He led her into the barn.

"Well, this is it, cows," he pointed, "Hay," he pointed again, "pitchforks, tractor. Just your everyday farm." Chloe smiled and took out her camera. She started snapping pictures.

"What are you doing?" Clark said with a laugh.

"No experience is complete without visual evidence." She said. Then she handed Clark the camera and ran over to the pitchfork. "Hey, take a picture of me using the pitchfork on the hay." Hs grabbed for it.

"Well, that's actually kind of-" Chloe tried to pick it up and found herself in the pile of hay, "Heavy."

He went over and reached his hand out to help her up. She grabbed it. His hand was very strong, she could tell. He was also very strong. He lifted her up out of the hay like she was a simple feather. Her face met his chest, and she had to look up to see his face. It felt nice, being close to this tall, strong guy. Not that Chloe really cared about that superficial stuff, but she was girl, and she had hormones, and eyes. Her eyes met his. They were very, very blue. Okay, he was attractive. Chloe took a step back from him, straightened her top, and rubbed the hay off of her skirt.

"What's up there?" she said, pointing at the loft.

"That, that's just my private place. It's where I think, do homework, etc."

Chloe climbed the steps up the loft and looked around.

"Wow. Sweet setup, Clark." She said. Then she spotted the telescope, "Spend your nights spying on any unsuspecting neighbors?"

Clark nervously ran over to the telescope making sure it was not aimed at the Potters house. The truth was, he often spied on his crush, Lana Lang, across the way. "No, I like...looking at the stars."

"I guess you truly are a gentleman farmer. Emerson and Thoreau have nothing on you. I spend way too much of my time reading." Chloe said, embarrassed. It was not exactly the most popular pastime for a teenager of the 20th century.

"Actually...I _love_ reading." Chloe turned, surprised, "I don't have that much time to make a lot of friends. My dad keeps me pretty busy with chores."

_ Okay, fair is fair_, Chloe thought, _my turn to open up a little_, "My mom left me when I was really young. After that...I was afraid to make friends because...I just thought they'd all end up leaving, too." _Okay, that is a little too personal, time to shrug it off and make it light,_ "So I buried my nose in books. Although, I think I lost one of my favorites when we moved, 'Tales of the Weird & Unexplained.' Something tells me I won't find much of the weird or unexplained here, in Norman Rockwell's neighborhood."

"Smallville's more than just dairy cows." Clark said, "We have a pretty good public library."

Chloe turned around, and lying on his little table in the loft was the book she had just mentioned. How did he even know to have that? Without thinking, she walked up to him, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. She had never kissed a boy before, and she got the impression he had never kissed a girl. "What was that for?" he asked. She was not really sure why she had done it. He was being so sweet, and he was clearly too shy to do it himself, though she had noticed him checking her out a bit when they had first met. But it did not have to be some awkward big deal. She guessed she had kissed him because she had wanted to, and because she knew he had wanted her to. There was really nothing more to it.

_ "_I know you've been thinking about it all day." She said, answering him, "So I figured we'd just get it out of the way and be friends."

He smiled, "You kiss all your friends?" he said, trying to joke off the awkwardness

"Only the cool ones." She responded smiling.

After that, they took out their homework and worked on it together. Clark was better at navigating math then Chloe was, which impressed her. Maybe he was not just some small-town buffoon farm kid after all.

After hanging out and doing homework, she went in with him and took Mrs. Kent up on her offer to join them for dinner. She waved goodbye and headed home. Maybe Smallville would not be so bad after all.

* * *

Clark kept looking over at her as they worked on their homework, and then during dinner. He still could not believe she had kissed him. And now she was acting like it was no big deal. Maybe it wasn't to her. She was a big city girl. She had probably kissed tons of guys, but clumsy Clark Kent had never so much as talked to a girl until today. And then this spunky, brave, slightly eccentric girl had come into his life and turned his world around. And she had kissed him. She had given him his first kiss. Could she like him? No, that was crazy. To a girl like her, he was nothing but a farm boy from a small-town. Still, it had been nice. He stayed up that night thinking about his new female friend, and his first kiss.


	5. Chapter 5: Chloe and Pete

Chapter Five

Chloe and Pete

"Please Mr. Chapman!" Chloe begged. It seemed as though she had been having this conversation forever, and Mr. Chapman did not appear to be budging. He rolled his eyes in frustration, and she knew he only wanted her to leave him alone, but Chloe Sullivan was not the type of girl to give up.

"I truly am sorry, Miss Sullivan, but the budget just does not warrant a new club-"

"A school paper is _not_ just a club." Chloe interrupted.

"As far as the school is concerned, it is. Now, this is nothing to get worked up about. In less than a year's time, you will be at the high school. From what I have heard, they have a very good paper, and I am sure the staff would be more than wiling to welcome you."

Chloe sighed. This guy just did not get it. Yes, she had to beef up her portfolio for when she was applying to The Daily Planet, a topic always on her mind, but this was about far more than credit. Chloe needed to write, and investigate. What was she supposed to do if she was not part of a school paper? It was who she was. She needed it. "Mr. Chapman, life does not begin at age fourteen. The Middle School is no doubt just as active as The High School, and that being the case, it seems unjust to deprive the masses of the up to the minute information they crave."

"Truth be told, Smallville is not a very news conscious town."

"All the more reason-"

"Miss Sullivan, this school has other expenses, things of greater importance."

"In other words, a school paper has no value in your eyes."

"In a school where no students would read, never mind join it, no, it does not. I am sorry Miss Sullivan, but as you are the only person advocating this little crusade, it just does not warrant organizing and financing a school paper."

"But-"

"Excuse me." Chloe was cut off by a voice behind her. She recognized it; it was Clark, the guy who had shown her around the other day. She had not seen him for a couple days; she had been settling in, and she assumed he had gone back to his friends and his life. She turned around, and saw he was standing next to and African American boy who was closer to her height than Clark. He also seemed to have a slightly better fashion sense than Clark, less flannel. He appeared to be looking her over in that way guys did. Clark had done the same thing when they had met. _Geez,_ she _thought, you would think no Smallville guys had ever seen a girl before._ In any case, she was curious as to the reason behind the interruption.

* * *

Clark and Pete were heading to the cafeteria, like they did everyday after social studies. Pete had been Clark's best friend since the sandbox. He was a descent guy; he always had Clark's back. He also made it easier to navigate new territory school wise. Pete had a ton of older brothers, so if their was a class or fieldtrip that the boys going to, or a teacher they were having, Pete would have story. It helped Clark prepare, which was good, because he was rather nervous by nature. Pete was funny, and he was more outgoing than Clark, though not by much. When Clark spent his time thinking about Lana, Pete fancied himself something of a ladies man. However, Clark knew that he had never so much as had a date, or a first kiss. Of course, as far as Pete knew, neither had Clark. He still had not told him about what had happened with the new girl. Maybe he was afraid to say it out loud, afraid that if he did, it might somehow, un-happen, or seem silly, or pointless. It just seemed more special this way, keeping it to himself.

* * *

Suddenly, Clark stopped walking. So did Pete.

_"-things of greater importance."_

_ "In other words, a school paper has no value in your eyes."_

Pete was surprised, to say the least. Clark was not really the eavesdropping type. He wondered why they had stopped to listen. Not that he minded. Clark may not have been the eavesdropping type, but Pete enjoyed a little outside drama.

Both boys looked around the corner at the conversation. Mr. Chapman was chatting with, or rather arguing with …holy shit! Who was that? Pete was not the most popular guy around, but people not noticing him did not keep him from noticing them. And he was certain he had never noticed that girl before. He was also certain, as he looked at her, that there was not a snowballs chance in hell that he would have missed her. Her attire was eccentric; it was creative and slightly provocative, at least from his perspective. He heard the words she had spoken ringing in his head. They oozed of passion, and of spite. She had sharp tongue, but not in a bad way. He noticed Clark start to walk toward her, and he found himself following.

"Excuse me." Clark said, and Mr. Chapman and the girl turned to him, "I hate to interrupt, but did you say you were thinking of starting a school paper."

Pete took the chance at being closer to appraise the girl more carefully. She did not have huge breasts, but at thirteen, what girl did. They were respectable. Yes, he was appraising her breasts. Pete was a guy with guy thoughts, and he was not ashamed to admit it. He was not the goody-two-shoes about girls that Clark was, and just because he would never do anything unless the girl was into it did not mean he could not admire the female body. He spent a great deal of time admiring the female body, and this particular female had in his opinion, quite the body to admire.

"Mr. Kent, Mr. Ross. Hello. And no, I am sorry, but I am afraid you misheard."

"That's a shame. This school could use one. I was thinking of signing up."

Pete felt Clark nudge him, "Yeah, me too." He said. Mr. Chapman stared at them, then back at Chloe.

"All right, Miss Sullivan. Looks like I underestimated the situation. You and your," he turned to Clark, "_enthusiastic _staff may use room 203 after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays to put out your publication." He looked at the three students once more, and added, "On a trial basis."

The girl's eyes grew wide. She looked almost like an anime character. Her face so expressive, her voice so passionate, she reminded Pete of a fairy, small body, big heart. Not that her body was small, it was a little petite, but Pete thought she was actually pretty cute.

Once Mr. Chapman was gone, she turned to Clark appreciatively, "Thanks for that."

"Looked like you were in a jam. You have to get the Daily Planet somehow, right."

She made the cutest, biggest smile that Pete had ever seen. Man, she was hot. He felt his throat go dry, and tried to clear it. Clark misinterpreted.

"Oh. Sorry. Uh, Chloe, this my best friend Pete. Pete Ross, Chloe Sullivan. She's new."

"Hey." Chloe said, shooting him a pretty great smile.

He smiled back, and then looked at Clark in surprise. "Well, who would have thought, you finally learned to talk to a girl." He said to Clark. Turning to Chloe, he said, "I taught him everything he knows."

Chloe raised her eyebrows at him in a disbelieving way.

"You'll have to forgive Pete. He's the school womanizer, you know, in his own mind."

Chloe chuckled. Pete felt embarrassed by the comment, but he knew Clark did not mean anything by it. In any case, he was great at pretending to be comfortable when he was not.

"Well, as long as it's just in his head, and not in actuality, I think the three of us will make great friends. Which is good, because it looks like we're going to be spending a lot of time together."

"What do you mean?" Clark asked. Neither he, nor Pete, were really opposed to the idea, but the way she said it sounded as though she had something in mind.

"Well, we have a paper to run now. You guys are my staff."

Clark turned sheet white. Pete wanted to chuckle, but in truth, he was having a similar reaction, if not quite as extreme, "Well, actually, I just sort of said that to help you out, because, well, it looked like you, see, I'm not really into journalism, and-"

"What does the term, 'trial basis' mean to you? The whole paper will be skating on thin ice, and Chapman will expect you to be working on it. Besides, I can hardly put out a whole paper all by myself."

Pete looked at him, "She has a point."

Clark looked from Chloe, to Pete, to Chloe, to Pete. Then, he sighed, "Well, its just one year, right? It's not like I have to work on a paper the rest of my life?"

"Exactly." Chloe said with a smile, "Who knows. You might find out that you like it."


	6. Chapter 6: Chloe and Lana

Author's Note: First, I would like to Thank Kede for giving this story its first review. Everybody cheer for Kede. Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Thank you so much Kede. I was starting to wonder if anybody was even reading this. Thank you for what you said. I tried hard. Chloe is my favorite character, so I really wanted to do her justice.

Warning: In this chapter Chloe may seem a bit mean. I am not trying to make her mean, but even the nicest of people have done some things they are not too proud of, and I think she redeems herself in the end.

Please Review! Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Chloe and Lana

Pete, Chloe, and Clark were sitting in the cafeteria, snacking on the slop that the school fed the students. _Nice to know some things never change_ Chloe thought, remembering the identical slop her middle school in Metropolis had served.

Pete, like most high school boys, would eat anything, so he was happily shoveling the slop. Clark, being a farm kid, had the benefit of a sack lunch. Unfortunately, that benefit was normally accompanied by ridicule. So far, Clark's sack lunches had gone unnoticed by the popular crowd. He hoped to keep it that way.

"So," Chloe started, sick of the silence, "how long have you guys been friends anyway?"

"Pretty much since kindergarten." Clark responded.

"Yeah, if sandboxes could talk, what stories they could tell you about us." Pete joked.

Chloe chuckled. Clark smiled too, but then his eyes strayed from the table and he sat up straight, shifting uncomfortably.

"So if Pete's the funny one, and I'm the smart one, what does that leave for you Clark?" Chloe asked teasingly. He did not answer. He did not even seem to be listening. He had a far-off look on his face. "Earth to Clark."

"Don't even bother." Pete said, "He's long gone."

Chloe looked at Pete curiously, "Does this happen a lot?"

Pete chuckled, "Only when she's in the room." He said, nodding in the direction Clark was looking. Chloe turned and saw a bunch of peppy cheerleaders bouncing around together.

"Oh god." Chloe said rolling her eyes, "do not tell me Clark likes a _cheerleader_." She said the word cheerleader as though it was the most disgusting thing she had ever heard.

"I take it you aren't exactly a big fan?"

Chloe smirked, "Of the Pom-pom squad, are you kidding? Bitches who rule the school with a collective GPA of 1.5. I'd rather go to school with zombies." She smiled, "Actually, that would be kind of cool."

"You're kind of strange, aren't you?" Pete asked.

"Oh, the strangest. I am Queen of the Strange. Trust me on this."

"Well, your highness, you are about to get front row seats to quite a humiliating show."

Chloe turned to see one of the Pom-pom squad was heading over to their table. The girl had long black hair, and he was carrying pink fliers.

"Bake sale Friday." She called, passing the fliers around. When she made it to their table, Chloe and Pete turned around, pretending to be cool. Pete looked like he was going to burst any second from laughter, and while Chloe had never seen this supposed show, she was curious.

"Bake sale Friday." The girl said, handing the fliers to each of them. Clark cleared his throat nervously. He was looking a little green. "I hope to see you guys there."

"Yeah, we'll, yeah, definitely." Clark spit out. He was nodding like an idiot, and he looked like he might vomit. Chloe rolled her eyes. Teenage boys and cheerleaders. Did it get any more cliché?

"Hey." The girl said, turning to her, "You must be new. I'm Lana."

"Chloe." Chloe said, plastering on the fakest smile she could muster.

"Welcome to Smallville."

"Gee, thanks." Chloe said, taking a sip of her juice.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys at the bake sale." Chloe nodded and waved.

When Lana left the table Clark breathed what could only be interpreted as a sigh of relief.

"I cannot believe you have a thing for a cheerbitch."

"That seems a little harsh for somebody you just met … and who says I have a thing for her?"

Pete smiled, "Sorry, but its obvious dude."

"I wish you would stop saying that. He has a very active imagination. It's bad enough you tell me I like her, now you are telling other people."

"Hey, nobody had to tell me, okay. When you zone out the second a girl enters the room, it is kind of a dead giveaway."

"I just got … distracted." Chloe rolled her eyes, "Look, I don't even know Lana that well."

"True story." Pete interrupted, "He's been in love with the girl for years now, and he's never had a longer conversation with her than the one you just witnessed."

Chloe's eyes grew wide, "Seriously?" Pete nodded.

"That's not-" Clark started to defend himself, but Chloe did not give him the chance.

"That's pathetic." She rolled her eyes, "What is it with guys a cheerleaders, is it the short skirts, the flirtatious movements, the fact that their entire purpose in life is to encourage the male sex?"

"Keep going." Pete said, smiling devilishly. Clark slapped his friend lightly.

"Look, if I did like her, and I am not saying I do, but hypothetically, if I did, it would not be because she's a cheerleader, okay, it would be because she's Lana."

"Lana, a girl who is a cheerleader."

"Head cheerleader actually." Pete said.

Clark glared at him, "Don't help."

"All I'm saying is, it's a little cliché, and to be perfectly honest, I thought you were better than that. You should hook up with a nice farm girl like you, one who likes stargazing." Chloe said. Chloe said, taking one of Clark's carrots and putting it in her mouth. "Cheerleaders are part of a backwards society that oppresses women, forcing them to use sexual favors in order to get ahead."

"It's just a club."

"There is no just a club, Clark. That which we are exposed to in school defines who we will be later in life. The school paper is not just a club, and neither is cheerleading. I for one am not going to let Lana lead the future women of America to believe that success is all about flirting and flipping."

"So now it's Lana you are crusading against."

Chloe shrugged, popping another carrot, "Pete said she was head cheerleader. It seems like an excellent place to start."

* * *

Lana sat down on the bleachers. It had been a long day. She was just happy to have a couple of minutes before practice to detox. She opened her backpack and started to search for her book, when she saw the shadow of someone standing over her. She looked up and met the eyes of that new girl.

"Hi. You're, um, Clark and Pete's friend, right." While she did knew neither Clark nor Pete very well, they had been in the same class since kindergarten, so she knew them enough to identify them as who this girl had been sitting with earlier.

"Yeah. Chloe." The girl said.

"Right, Chloe. Sorry, my head has been all over the place today."

"Well, I won't take up your precious time, I just wanted to give you a chance to respond to an article I'm working on."

"An article?" Lana asked, confused.

"Yeah, for a newspaper. The school paper actually." Lana noticed a hint of condescension in Chloe's voice.

"I, um, know what an article is. I just didn't know the school had a paper."

"Well, it didn't, until today. I started one." The girl said proudly.

"Well, good for you then." Lana said politely. "What's the article about?" Lana asked nervously. Lord knew she had gotten enough press exposure to last a girl a lifetime.

"Cheerleading." Chloe said.

Lana smiled, "Oh, sure, um, what do you want to know?"

Chloe smiled and clicked on her tape recorder, "Why are you a cheerleader?"

Lana smiled, awkwardly. _Because my mom was one_, she thought, but she could not say that. The last thing she wanted was to give anybody reason to think about that stupid _Time Magazine_ cover again. "Um, because it's fun." Lana said lamely.

"By that do you mean that cheerleading itself is fun, or that the treatment and perks you get because you are a cheerleader are fun?" Chloe said, looking at Lana.

"I'm sorry?"

"I just wanted to know what drew the school's princess to the position of head cheerleader. The guys, the special treatment from teachers, the love of the limelight, or are you just one of those sadistic people who wants a position of power so she can judge the lower class and push them in the gutter?"

"You don't even know me." Lana said, taken aback. She tried to ignore the princess comment as she was sure Chloe did not know that little tidbit, but it still stung.

"You're head cheerleader and most popular girl in school. What's to know? You strive for power in the school social scene, and get what you want by making others feel like geeks, nerds, or losers. Just like every other head cheerleader."

"Well, for somebody who clearly does not like labels, you sure are quick to jump to conclusions. I tried out and made the squad. Maybe it was lucky, maybe skill, I do not know. But I definitely did not push anybody down to get the spot. If you want to write about cheerleading, fine, but I get the impression you just want to write about the screwed up social system at this school. So while you are working on your article, you might want to remember that assuming being head cheerleader makes me satin and publishing this theory makes you just as bad as the person you are accusing me of being. I have been victim to gossip before, but the only rumor I ever started was about my cousin Charlotte and I was eight at the time. I get great grades, and I spend at least seventy percent of my time reading for pleasure. One of my friends on the squad, Jenny, takes college level science courses. Another, Diana spent two years being teased for having a lisp, and Sherry, another squad member, was the first person to sit with her and stand up for her. They have been inseparable ever since, and it was the whole reason Diana tired out. Clara used to be afraid of public speaking, but being on the squad helped her get over it, Brianna has to work three jobs after school to help her dad pay the mortgage, she has no time for a social life, but we help her when we can, whether she needs emotional support, or help making the rent. We organize bake sales, fundraisers, donating our time to help a lot of including the bake sale we are having Friday to raise money for the local animal shelter so they can add another room for the extra dogs instead of having to resort to euthanasia. We make friends, raise money, get exercise, show school spirit, and get something to beef up our college applications. It is not a cult, and we are not witches bent on destroying the student body." Lana took a deep breath. Wow, she had never delivered a speech like that before. Then again, nobody had ever accused her of being a vicious bubblehead before.

Chloe looked like she was about to say something, but then the coach called all the girls to come out onto the field. It was time for practice.

* * *

The first issue of the Smallville Middle School Paper came out today, and Chloe could not remember the last time she had been this excited. She had been a little nervous, but it was good, and she knew her editorial on the social structure of the school kicked ass, although she was still a little surprised by how it had turned out.

* * *

Adjusting the Lenses

By Chloe Sullivan

Hello fellow students, and welcome to the first issue of the Smallville Middle School Paper. I am a new resident to Smallville, and to be honest, I expected this place to be nothing but miles and miles of corn. Now, before you get offended and put this down, I would like to say that I have learned that things are rarely what they appear. I know we have all been handed that 'don't judge a book by its cover' speech since pre-k, but let's be honest, we are always going to judge a book by its cover. That is just human nature. The trick is to be flexible about your initial judgment, though it may take some work. I recently learned that, while I have always preached to look beyond the surface, I am also human. I fell into the trap of assuming somebody was a certain way based on a stereotype; for that, I am extremely sorry. The truth is, this school actually has some pretty cool people. There are shy, quirky farm boys who make really good friends, faux Casanovas with great senses of humor, and cheerleaders who are actually decent people, who would have thought? Smallville is a little weird, but what is so wrong with that? Nothing really. Personally, I think it is kind of cool. Not every article will be as touchy-feely as this one, but I just wanted to get this out there. There is nothing wrong with taking a closer look, at a person, at a situation, or heck, at a real book. [One word of the previous sentence was edited by the principle]. It is easy to overlook something you have seen a million times. That is where I come in. I can look at this town with fresh eyes, and between the some odd hundreds of us, we should be able to notice some pretty significant things we never saw before. Hopefully this paper will do its job, help people to see, but you have to be willing to open your eyes first. So, open them, and take a look around. What do you see?

* * *

Lana was stunned. She looked around for Chloe, and found her sitting on a bench, probably waiting for the bus to come.

"Hey."

"Hey." Chloe said, uninterestedly.

"I read your article. It was really good."

"Well, thanks for that. It's always nice to be appreciated."

"Um, thanks, for what you wrote. The apology."

"Don't thank me. I fessed up, was honest. I was wrong about cheerleaders, I admitted that, but I still don't know if I was wrong about you." The bus came and Chloe got up, she stepped inside and said, "I guess only time will tell." Then the doors closed and Lana watched the bus drive away. She sat down on the bench, waiting for Nell to get there. _This is going to be one interesting year._


	7. Chapter 7: Lana and Whitney

Author's Note: This will not be the last Lana and Whitney chapter. This is simply how they met. How they got together, that will come in later chapters. Please be patient, read, review, and enjoy.

Chapter Seven

Lana and Whitney

Lana sat in the beanery, quietly reading as she waited for the waitress to bring her her order. She liked the beanery; it was a nice quiet place to read or socialize, though Lana preferred the former. However, she had quite a few friends on the cheer squad, and she had worked hard to cultivate a sociable image of herself. The last thing she wanted was to have people whispering about how much of a loner she was. So, she hung out with girls her age on the squad, smiled, and laughed, and eventually, headed home. She often read on the porch outside her house, underneath the glow of the moon. During the day, however, Nell had to run the flower shop, and she did not always have time to drop Lana at home before getting back to work. So Lana would hang out in the beanery, reading the book she had packed for this specific occasion.

The waitress brought her coffee, and she thanked her, taking a sip. Lana was still a little new to coffee, but it kept her up, which when you head almost every committee, are on the cheerleading squad, and are trying to keep on the honor roll was kind of a necessity.

A group of high school football jocks strolled in, wearing their Smallville Crows Jerseys. In just a year, Lana would be cheering for them, assuming she made the squad next year of course. So much was changing. Next year she would be in high school, just like them.

One of the guys caught her staring.

"Who's that chick?" he said, nodding in her direction. Lana quickly turned her head back down and looked at her book.

"Her. She's that girl who was on _Time_ after the meteor shower. You know, Smallville's own cover girl."

Lana winced. She should be used to those comments by now, but she still was not.

"Yeah?" the guy said, looking back at Lana and appraising her, "She's hot."

Those comments she was less used to. She was only thirteen after al, and had only recently started to develop. She was coming along fine, of course, but she was very unaccustomed to hearing guys refer to her that way. Her cheeks grew red. One of the guys must have noticed, because she heard him say, "I think she heard you."

The guy started to approach her, "Were you eavesdropping, princess?" she tried to ignore him, "It's okay, I'm not offended." He said, taking a seat across from her, "It's flattering actually." He waited for her to respond, but she didn't, "What do you say you an I go for a walk, try to go to know each other better."

Finally, she looked up, her face still red. She could hear his some of friends snickering.

"Actually, I was trying to read."

"Yeah, but why read about life when you can live it?" he said, causally placing his hand on her thigh.

"Brad!" she heard a strong voice say. She looked up to see another football player, tall, with sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. "Why don't you leave the girl alone." his voice was calm, friendly, but demanding. It was the voice of a leader. Lana guessed he was team captain or something.

"I'm just offering her a chance to hang out. You can take a _walk_ with her when I'm done if you like." Brad said, winking when he said the word walk.

The football player with the sandy blonde hair got angry at that. He grabbed the first guy by his collar and lifted him into a standing position.

"Dude!" the first guy said, surprised.

"She's in Middle School. Don't be an ass."

Brad backed up, hands in the air. "Whatever man."

The other football players were looking at them, but the sandy blonde-haired boy seemed to have calmed down.

"Show's over boys, come on, drinks on me, and then let's go blow off some steam, yeah?" He said, in a very charismatic manner. The guys all sat at a table a comfortable distance away from Lana, and in a minute, they were all laughing and joking, getting along as though the whole incident had never happened. After about forty minutes, they got up to leave. Lana looked up as they made their way out the door, and she caught the eye of the boy who had stood up for her. He looked in her direction, smiled at her, and then he was gone.

When Nell picked her up, Lana was still thinking about what had happened. She wanted to find some way to thank the boy who had stepped in, but she did not know how. In any case, she did not know who he was.

* * *

Whitney stood in the isle, helping Ben Hubbard pick out a television screen. How he loathed working here. But he was good at putting up a front, as any good salesperson should be. _And the Oscar goes to_, he thought as he told Ben how he could never go wrong with this model. It sucked, it really did. It was a lousy way to spend his time. But it was his dad's store, and his dad always said that someday, it would be his. Except he did not want it to be his. He did not want this, the small-town life. Whitney wanted a future, out there in the world, maybe in metropolis, or maybe in some other country. He did not know what he wanted to do exactly; he just knew he wanted to be a somebody, not a salesclerk.

He rang Ben up, and waited for the next customer. A girl with long black hair stepped up to the counter. She looked up at her, and her eyes went wide.

Wait, he knew her. Yes, she was that girl brad had been picking on the other day. How could he have forgotten?

"Hi." He said. He knew he was supposed to say 'how can I help you,' but if he did, she might think he did not remember her, and he did not want to offend her. He was not really sure what to say though, so 'hi' seemed the best option.

"Hey." She just stood there for a minute.

"Um, did you need, um, help?" he asked awkwardly.

"Yes, right. Sorry. Um, yes, I was looking for a desk lamp."

Whitney smiled, "Right this way." He said, making his way out from behind the counter. The girl followed.

"So, this for you?"

"My Aunt, actually. Her old one broke."

"Well, you could have her bring it in, have us take a look at it. Depending on how bad the damage is, fixing it might be cheaper than buying a new one."

The girl nodded. They were silent for a minute, which was awkward, and then, finally, somebody spoke, "Hey, thanks. For the other day."

"No problem. Brad isn't always that bad, but, you know, he can be a real jackass some of the time."

The girl nodded, "So it's your job to keep him in check."

"Someone has to."

"Well, thanks." Whitney nodded. "So, how long have you worked here?"

"Since I was old enough."

"You really dig the hardware profession, huh?"

"Actually, no, but it is my dad's store, so…" he just let the sentence lay there. The implication seemed pretty clear.

"So, you're a Fordman then?"

Whitney stopped. _I never introduced myself_ he realized, laughing at himself a little, "Yeah, uh, Whitney." He said, holding out his hand.

The girl smiled, "Lana."

"Nice to meet you." They continued walking until they reached the lamps, which had only been a few paces away, "See anything you like?" Lana walked around, taking careful inventory of each item. Whitney watched her. "Need any help?" he asked after a couple minutes.

She laughed, "Sorry, I don't mean to take up so much of your time. It's just, well, I'm not looking for my taste; it's for my Aunt. You know."

Whitney nodded. It was always hard picking something out for somebody else.

"Well, what sort of thing does she like?"

Lana squinted and crinkled her nose in thought. _She's kind of cute._ Whitney thought.

"Elegant. Fancy. Respectable. And old-looking."

"Old-looking?"

"Yeah, you know, looks like an antique, but works with all the advantages of modern convenience."

Whitney smiled, "Ah." He looked around and something caught his attention. He walked over toward it, and Lana followed. Then he picked up the lamp, and gave it to her for her to examine, "This is perfect. She'll love this."

"Glad to be of service."

Lana nodded and followed him to the counter.

"How long is the warranty."

"Two years, but we don't expect our stuff to have any problems. Of course, seeing as your Aunt has not seen this yet, she may opt to just fix her old one, or pick one out herself, in which case she could exchange or return, but with a thoughtful niece like you picking it out for her, I think she'll be satisfied."

Lana giggled, "Too bad you don't like working here. You're a natural."

Whitney smiled, "Just don't let my dad hear you say that. The guy does not need any more encouragement."

"Secret's safe with me." she said, smiling. She had a nice smile. And she was kind of fun to talk to. No, fun was not the word, not exactly. Easy. That was it. She was easy to talk to. He felt comfortable talking to her. He enjoyed it, and it did not feel awkward or weird, even though he barely knew her and she was in middle school.

"Okay," he said, "You're all set."

"Thank you." She said, taking the lamp from the counter.

"Any time." He said, smiling. She smiled back. He watched her go out the door.


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hello.

So, I know it has been a really long time since I have updated, and I apologize for that.

I have a lot of stories going right now, and it can be hard to keep track sometimes, plus sometimes there is writers block, and also life, which unfortunately gets in the way of fan fictions which we all know are more important.

I wanted to assure all of you that while it has been a while, and I do not know how soon I will be updating, I am NOT, I repeat NOT, dropping this story.

I hate when people drop stories, and when I made my account I promised myself I would never drop one.

So, yes, it may be a while, depending on other factors, but I promise you, unless I unexpectedly die, this story and all of the others will be finished. Maybe not today, or this week, or even this month, but they will be. I understand if you don't want to wait around, because it might be a while, but I promise, I will finish these stories. I just wanted to make that clear, and apologize for how long it is taking.

Have a good day.

Sincerely,

~RedTailedHawkens


End file.
